Please choose one of the 2012 Great Graphic Novels...
The list of 56 titles, drawn from 78 official nominations, is presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The books, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens.
There is a wide variety of topics and genres from which to choose! Have fun selecting a book you and your students would enjoy!
The books are listed by Author. Title. Annotation.
Nonfiction Ebine, Kazuki. Gandhi: A Manga Biography. A brief picture of one of the most well-known names in history. Geary, Rick. The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti: A Treasury of XXth Century Murder.. Sacco and Vanzetti: thieves and murderers or anarchist scapegoats? Gladstone, Brooke, Josh Neufeld, and others. The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media. How is the media telling you what to think? Glidden, Sarah. How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less. A young woman questions her heritage and politics during her birthright tour of Israel. Hosler, Jay, Kevin Cannon, and others.Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth. Tour the last 4.5 billion years on earth—with an alien. O’Connor, George. Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory: Olympians V. 3. The queen of the Gods has her own stories to tell. Ottaviani, Jim, Leland Myrick, and others. Feynman. The life and times of the world's smartest man. Phelan, Matt. Around the World. Journey around the world with three nineteenth-century travelers. Santiago, Wilfred. 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente. The battles of the Puerto Rican baseball pioneer on and off the field. Sowa, Marzena and Sylvain Savoia. Marzi: A Memoir. A young girl growing up in Communist Poland.
Fiction Amir and Khalil. Zahra’s Paradise. Violent street protests. A missing brother. How far will an Iranian blogger go to uncover the truth? Austen, Jane, Nancy Butler, and others. Sense and Sensibility. Elinor and Marianne find romance and heartbreak in Regency England. Bendis, Brian Michael and Alex Maleev. Scarlet. When her life is destroyed by police corruption, Scarlet seeks bloody revenge. Bendis, Brian Michael and Michael Avon Oeming. Takio. Taki and her little sister use their kung fu telekinesis to become superheroes. Brosgol, Vera.Anya’s Ghost. When Anya befriends a ghost, her life turns around—at least for a while. Brubaker, Jason. reMIND V. 1. Sonja discovers that there may be some truth to her town’s favorite urban legend, the Lizard Man. Bruchac, Joseph and Will Davis. Dawn Land. Thousands of years ago, Young Hunter defends humanity against the Stone Giants. Bunn, Cullen and Brian Hurtt. Cold Dead Fingers: The Sixth Gun V. 1. In the Old West, an enchanted six-shooter pits Becky against dark forces. Card, Orson Scott, Emily Janice Card, and others.Laddertop V. 1. Welcome to Laddertop Academy, the space school where gifted students train for the most important jobs in the galaxy. Dawson, Mike. Troop 142. Are you prepared for a week-long camping trip with Boy Scout Troop 142? DeFillippis, Nunzio, Christina Weir, and others. Amazing Agent Jennifer V. 1. Why take over the family business when you can train to become a secret agent? Delgado, Ricardo. Age of Reptiles Omnibus V. 1. Revenge, family, murder, and survival—from a dinosaur’s perspective. Fawkes, Ray. One Soul.Eighteen births, eighteen lives, eighteen deaths. Gage, Christos, Mike McKone, and others. Permanent Record: Avengers Academy V. 1. A school for the next generation of heroes or rehab for a group of damaged super teens? Gulledge, Laura Lee. Page by Paige. When everything is new and strange, a sketchbook can be your best friend. Hastings, Christopher, Benito Cereno, and others. The Adventures of Dr. McNinja: Night Powers. He heals with one hand, kills with the other. Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist V. 1. Trans. John Werry. The son of Satan decides to kick some demon ass. *Langridge, Roger, Chris Samnee, and others. Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 1. and Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 2. Is the mysterious man Jane finds in her museum really the God of Thunder? Lee, Tony and Sam Hart. Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur. Dark magic, a vengeful sorceress, shadowy prophesies, and malicious fairies—King Arthur like you've never seen. Lyga, Barry and Colleen Doran. Mangaman. East meets West when Ryoko falls through The Rip to enter Marissa’s American high school. McLeod, Kagan. Infinite Kung Fu. A zombie, apocalyptic, dystopian, blaxploitation, kung-fu epic. Mignola, Mike, Christopher Golden, and others. Baltimore: The Plague Ships. An injured vet becomes the scourge of World War I’s vampire army. Mori, Kaoru. A Bride’s Story V. 1. The nineteenth-century Silk Road sets the stage for the arranged marriage between a huntress and a boy. Mucha, Corinne. Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense. For Annie and her friends, high school may not be all it’s cracked up to be. Nicolle, Malachai and Ethan Nicolle.Axe Cop V. 1. A cop with an axe and his dinosaur sidekick, and it just gets weirder from there. Oleksyk, Sarah. Ivy. For an aspiring teen painter, running away is not the escape she thought it would be. Raiku, Makoto. Animal Land V. 1. A young tanuki discovers a human infant who may change the world. Ralph, Brian. Daybreak. You find yourself in a desolate landscape. Follow the one-armed man. You’re safe, at least for now. Reed, M. K. and Jonathan Hill. Americus. With his favorite fantasy series under attack, Neal finds his voice. Snyder, Scott, Jock, and others. Batman: The Black Mirror. Gotham City brings its new Batman and Commissioner Gordon face-to-face with the stuff of nightmares. Soule, Charles, Renzo Podesta, and others. 27: First Set. Guitarist Garland seeks out dark magic to reclaim his rock-star status. Spencer, Nick and Joe Eisma. Morning Glories V. 1. Six talented but troubled teens find themselves trapped at the prestigious Morning Glory Academy. Suzuki, Julietta.Kamisama Kiss V. 1. and Kamisama Kiss V. 2. How will homeless teen Nanami deal with her new responsibilities as a local deity? Shimura, Takako. Wandering Son V. 1. A gentle coming-of-age story about a boy who wants to be a girl and a girl who wants to be a boy. TenNapel, Doug. Bad Island. Shipwreck is only the beginning of this family vacation from hell. Thomas, Brandon and Lee Ferguson. The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury V. 1: Time Runs Out. Nothing is impossible for the galaxy’s greatest adventurer—even if she only has one year left to live. Varon, Sara. Bake Sale. Whip up some fun in the kitchen with Cupcake and his best friend Eggplant. Waid, Mark, Mirco Pierfederici, and others. Ruse: The Victorian Guide to Murder. What's more dangerous than being the smartest detective in the world? Working for him. Wood, Brian and Ryan Kelly. The New York Five. College roommates learn their most important lessons outside the classroom. Yang, Gene and Thien Pham.Level Up. Death match! Med school versus video games! Yolen, Jane and Rebecca Guay. The Last Dragon. A lovely young maiden, a would-be hero, and a fire-breathing dragon. Yukino, Sai and Kairi Yura.The Story of Saiunkoku V. 1. and The Story of Saiunkoku V. 2. An educated young noblewoman desperate for money meets a childish emperor. How will they rule the country together? Zubkavich, Jim, Edwin Huang, and others. 1000 Opas and a Dead Body: Skullkickers V. 1. What do you do after a hard day of fighting werewolves, drunken louts, an evil mage, and the undead? You get paid, of course!
The list of 56 titles, drawn from 78 official nominations, is presented annually at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The books, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens.
There is a wide variety of topics and genres from which to choose! Have fun selecting a book you and your students would enjoy!
The books are listed by Author. Title. Annotation.
Nonfiction
Ebine, Kazuki. Gandhi: A Manga Biography. A brief picture of one of the most well-known names in history.
Geary, Rick. The Lives of Sacco and Vanzetti: A Treasury of XXth Century Murder.. Sacco and Vanzetti: thieves and murderers or anarchist scapegoats?
Gladstone, Brooke, Josh Neufeld, and others. The Influencing Machine: Brooke Gladstone on the Media. How is the media telling you what to think?
Glidden, Sarah. How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less. A young woman questions her heritage and politics during her birthright tour of Israel.
Hosler, Jay, Kevin Cannon, and others. Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth. Tour the last 4.5 billion years on earth—with an alien.
O’Connor, George. Hera: The Goddess and Her Glory: Olympians V. 3. The queen of the Gods has her own stories to tell.
Ottaviani, Jim, Leland Myrick, and others. Feynman. The life and times of the world's smartest man.
Phelan, Matt. Around the World. Journey around the world with three nineteenth-century travelers.
Santiago, Wilfred. 21: The Story of Roberto Clemente. The battles of the Puerto Rican baseball pioneer on and off the field.
Sowa, Marzena and Sylvain Savoia. Marzi: A Memoir. A young girl growing up in Communist Poland.
Fiction
Amir and Khalil. Zahra’s Paradise. Violent street protests. A missing brother. How far will an Iranian blogger go to uncover the truth?
Austen, Jane, Nancy Butler, and others. Sense and Sensibility. Elinor and Marianne find romance and heartbreak in Regency England.
Bendis, Brian Michael and Alex Maleev. Scarlet. When her life is destroyed by police corruption, Scarlet seeks bloody revenge.
Bendis, Brian Michael and Michael Avon Oeming. Takio. Taki and her little sister use their kung fu telekinesis to become superheroes.
Brosgol, Vera. Anya’s Ghost. When Anya befriends a ghost, her life turns around—at least for a while.
Brubaker, Jason. reMIND V. 1. Sonja discovers that there may be some truth to her town’s favorite urban legend, the Lizard Man.
Bruchac, Joseph and Will Davis. Dawn Land. Thousands of years ago, Young Hunter defends humanity against the Stone Giants.
Bunn, Cullen and Brian Hurtt. Cold Dead Fingers: The Sixth Gun V. 1. In the Old West, an enchanted six-shooter pits Becky against dark forces.
Card, Orson Scott, Emily Janice Card, and others. Laddertop V. 1. Welcome to Laddertop Academy, the space school where gifted students train for the most important jobs in the galaxy.
Dawson, Mike. Troop 142. Are you prepared for a week-long camping trip with Boy Scout Troop 142?
DeFillippis, Nunzio, Christina Weir, and others. Amazing Agent Jennifer V. 1. Why take over the family business when you can train to become a secret agent?
Delgado, Ricardo. Age of Reptiles Omnibus V. 1. Revenge, family, murder, and survival—from a dinosaur’s perspective.
Fawkes, Ray. One Soul.Eighteen births, eighteen lives, eighteen deaths.
Gage, Christos, Mike McKone, and others. Permanent Record: Avengers Academy V. 1. A school for the next generation of heroes or rehab for a group of damaged super teens?
Gulledge, Laura Lee. Page by Paige. When everything is new and strange, a sketchbook can be your best friend.
Hastings, Christopher, Benito Cereno, and others. The Adventures of Dr. McNinja: Night Powers. He heals with one hand, kills with the other.
Kato, Kazue. Blue Exorcist V. 1. Trans. John Werry. The son of Satan decides to kick some demon ass.
*Langridge, Roger, Chris Samnee, and others. Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 1. and Thor: The Mighty Avenger V. 2. Is the mysterious man Jane finds in her museum really the God of Thunder?
Lee, Tony and Sam Hart. Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur. Dark magic, a vengeful sorceress, shadowy prophesies, and malicious fairies—King Arthur like you've never seen.
Lyga, Barry and Colleen Doran. Mangaman. East meets West when Ryoko falls through The Rip to enter Marissa’s American high school.
McLeod, Kagan. Infinite Kung Fu. A zombie, apocalyptic, dystopian, blaxploitation, kung-fu epic.
Mignola, Mike, Christopher Golden, and others. Baltimore: The Plague Ships. An injured vet becomes the scourge of World War I’s vampire army.
Mori, Kaoru. A Bride’s Story V. 1. The nineteenth-century Silk Road sets the stage for the arranged marriage between a huntress and a boy.
Mucha, Corinne. Freshman: Tales of 9th Grade Obsessions, Revelations, and Other Nonsense. For Annie and her friends, high school may not be all it’s cracked up to be.
Nicolle, Malachai and Ethan Nicolle. Axe Cop V. 1. A cop with an axe and his dinosaur sidekick, and it just gets weirder from there.
Oleksyk, Sarah. Ivy. For an aspiring teen painter, running away is not the escape she thought it would be.
Raiku, Makoto. Animal Land V. 1. A young tanuki discovers a human infant who may change the world.
Ralph, Brian. Daybreak. You find yourself in a desolate landscape. Follow the one-armed man. You’re safe, at least for now.
Reed, M. K. and Jonathan Hill. Americus. With his favorite fantasy series under attack, Neal finds his voice.
Snyder, Scott, Jock, and others. Batman: The Black Mirror. Gotham City brings its new Batman and Commissioner Gordon face-to-face with the stuff of nightmares.
Soule, Charles, Renzo Podesta, and others. 27: First Set. Guitarist Garland seeks out dark magic to reclaim his rock-star status.
Spencer, Nick and Joe Eisma. Morning Glories V. 1. Six talented but troubled teens find themselves trapped at the prestigious Morning Glory Academy.
Suzuki, Julietta. Kamisama Kiss V. 1. and Kamisama Kiss V. 2. How will homeless teen Nanami deal with her new responsibilities as a local deity?
Shimura, Takako. Wandering Son V. 1. A gentle coming-of-age story about a boy who wants to be a girl and a girl who wants to be a boy.
TenNapel, Doug. Bad Island. Shipwreck is only the beginning of this family vacation from hell.
Thomas, Brandon and Lee Ferguson. The Many Adventures of Miranda Mercury V. 1: Time Runs Out. Nothing is impossible for the galaxy’s greatest adventurer—even if she only has one year left to live.
Varon, Sara. Bake Sale. Whip up some fun in the kitchen with Cupcake and his best friend Eggplant.
Waid, Mark, Mirco Pierfederici, and others. Ruse: The Victorian Guide to Murder. What's more dangerous than being the smartest detective in the world? Working for him.
Wood, Brian and Ryan Kelly. The New York Five. College roommates learn their most important lessons outside the classroom.
Yang, Gene and Thien Pham. Level Up. Death match! Med school versus video games!
Yolen, Jane and Rebecca Guay. The Last Dragon. A lovely young maiden, a would-be hero, and a fire-breathing dragon.
Yukino, Sai and Kairi Yura. The Story of Saiunkoku V. 1. and The Story of Saiunkoku V. 2. An educated young noblewoman desperate for money meets a childish emperor. How will they rule the country together?
Zubkavich, Jim, Edwin Huang, and others. 1000 Opas and a Dead Body: Skullkickers V. 1. What do you do after a hard day of fighting werewolves, drunken louts, an evil mage, and the undead? You get paid, of course!